In institutional and commercial kitchens, there is a continuing need to cook foods using different cooking methods. For example, at breakfast, the main meals may be cooked on a grille, but then at lunch or dinner, it may be desirable to deep fry, roast, or simply heat the foods in bulk. Normally, it is necessary to have a variety of different kitchen equipment available, each of which may be used to prepare foods by only one or two cooking techniques. Therefore, multiple equipment items, such as separate grilles, ovens, pans, and kettles are often found in such kitchens. The requirement for multiple equipment increases both the initial capital costs, and the floor space requirements for food preparation kitchens, thus increasing the ultimate cost of food preparation in the kitchen. Thus, particularly in those cooking operations where equipment costs or space constraints are most sensitive, it would be desirable to reduce the number of separate equipment items required. In short, it would be preferable to combine the function of several types of equipment into a single cooking apparatus rather than to limit the menu or reduce capital costs by eliminating certain cooking techniques from the kitchen altogether.
One attempt at a combination type device of which I am aware is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,430,582, issued Nov. 11, 1947 to Reich for HEATING DEVICE. That patent illustrates, in FIGS. 9-12 and FIGS. 15-17, a cooking device such as a grille which has an upper frame with a pivoting electrical heater to provide from one side direct radiant heat and from the other side conducted heat (through a metal plate); thus this device can be used as a grille or as a broiler.
Another device is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,039, issued Sep. 18, 1990 to Reyes for a FIVE IN ONE COOKER. Reyes illustrates a swivel top portion which can be inverted from a dome configuration where the dome is used as a lid to control the heating of barbecue on grilles below, or to a pan configuration so that food can be cooked in the pan. However, in so far as I am aware, no institutional type dutch oven cookers have been proposed which allow flexibility to switch between cook and grille configurations.
Therefore, a continuing demand exists for a simple, space saving, and relatively inexpensive cooking apparatus which can be used as desired in many different cooking modes. The need for such devices is commonly seen in institutional settings, such as hospitals, prisons, nursing homes, or in commercial restaurant settings, particularly where space is at a premium.